novelAlta Chapter 250: Do you have something like this over there?
Chapter 250: Do you have something like this over there?
As soon as Arendt arrived, he gave Henry some instructions.First, the employees will be sent out on paid leave, leaving only the bare minimum number of people.
Second, send one of the employees to the East Merchant Group’s tea shop.
And the third one was this:
While pretending to be pitiful by sweeping the road, he will grab one of his most gullible acquaintances and bring him in.
The person who won the lottery was Oliver.
Even though he was smiling brightly, Henry’s stomach felt queasy.
‘They say that the Third Knights’ dormitory always had stomach medicine available.’
Henry personally experienced that what he thought was just a joke was actually true.
Even now, both himself and Arcus had been suffering from heartburn that felt like a hole was going to develop in their stomachs for several days.
As he faced the old merchant who looked at him with an expression that said he knew nothing, he felt even more guilty and felt like he was going to die from the shame.
“…Would you like some more snacks?”
“No, it’s okay. That’s enough.”
The offer, which was intended to relieve even a modicum of guilt, was met with an embarrassed refusal.
Oliver waved his hand and asked cautiously.
“So, Sir Arendt and the Vice Leader are discussing the operation of the Union? Why isn’t the Leader there…?”
The trailed off words were asking why Henry was left out of the discussion on the future of the Union.
Henry, who realized the meaning, gave the answer.
“Oh, that’s okay. We’ve already discussed this. It’s just a matter of the two of them coming to an agreement.”
“Is that so?”
Oliver looked at Arcus and Arendt with curious eyes.
But then he saw Arendt kicking Arcus’ shin from under the table and quickly looked away.
In one corner of his vision, the Vice Leader was gripping his leg and trembling.
Henry laughed awkwardly, having guessed what was happening behind the scenes just from Oliver’s reaction.
“That’s because it’s Arendt’s way of showing his friendliness. Even though they look like that, they’re pretty close, so don’t worry.”
“Oh, yes…”
Oliver nodded with a look of complete disbelief.
But the sudden outbreak of minor violence seemed to have piqued his curiosity.
“By any chance… have you come up with some kind of solution?”
“Haha, well, I guess it would be nice if I could confidently say that it was a solution.”
Henry smiled sheepishly.
“But I won’t stay still, with the same mindset as a merchant you mentioned earlier.”
“Excellent, Union Leader.”
Only then did a faint smile appear on Oliver’s face.
If it was discovered that he had been going in and out of the Khan Union, he would be struck down by his superiors, but that didn’t really matter.
Henry also gave a good-natured smile.
“Actually, Sir Arendt has been making a new business partner.”
“Yes? A business partner?”
In this situation?
Oliver barely swallowed the question rising to the top of his throat.
Now was not the time to push hard to expand the business.
Besides, increasing the number of trading partners would do little to compete with the East Merchant Group.
Even if a new deal was made, there was no telling when they would fall to the East Merchant Group.
“That… Union Leader, I know it’s presumptuous of me to ask, but…”
“I know what you’re worried about, but it’s okay.”
When Oliver, who had been watching the situation, carefully opened his mouth, Henry answered lightly.
There was nothing more Oliver could say to that.
Oliver took a sip of tea.
‘I must report to the leader that the Khan Union is attempting to recover.’
After finding out where their business partner was, if it was judged to be competitive, the stockholders might change their minds.
The merchant group where Oliver was stationed was fairly friendly to the Khan Union until problems arose with the East Merchant Group.
While Oliver was lost in such thoughts, Henry couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat at the gaze fixed on his back.
The person who sent a cold, watchful gaze was none other than Arendt.
‘He’s more useful than I thought.’
Henry was a pretty decent actor.
Arendt should say that Henry was more used to telling jokes than acting, but he quite liked the way Henry carried out the script so well even though he made a face that said he was going to die of frustration.
Arendt nodded with a hint of satisfaction at Henry, who was looking at him with anxious eyes.
Only then could Henry breathe a sigh of relief.
If he’d done his part to this extent, at least he wouldn’t get kicked in the shins like Arcus.
Henry, who had barely calmed down, was about to take a sip of his almost cold tea.
.
Suddenly the door to the Union opened.
“Um, Union Leader…”
An employee poked her head out through the half-open door.
Putting a snack in his mouth, Arendt turned his gaze towards the character who had suddenly appeared.
Henry put down his teacup as he recognized her.
“Karin? You came back quickly.”
It hadn’t even been an hour since he sent her off to check out the East Merchant Group’s tea shop.
There was no specific time set for her to return, so it wouldn’t have been strange if she had come back at any time, but her condition didn’t look very good.
Karin, who had been hesitating, carefully opened her mouth.
“I brought a guest with me…”
“A guest?”
As Henry raised his voice in surprise, Karin turned her gaze towards Arcus.
“Yes, but he would like to meet the Vice Leader.”
“Me? Who is he?”
Arcus frowned slightly at the unexpected words.
“He said that his name was Drayton and that if you hear his name, the Vice leader and… Lord Arendt will understand.”
For a moment, Arendt’s eyes met with Arcus’, who was looking at him anxiously.
Arendt absentmindedly glanced at Arcus and became lost in thought.
‘Drayton.’
It wasn’t an unfamiliar name.
Because he’d seen it a few times in the documents that the Neumann informants sent him.
He was the leader of the merchants under Count Eckhart, and was in charge of the largest merchant group among them.
But it seemed that Drayton had not come here just for that purpose.
The evidence was that Arcus started fidgeting and looking around after hearing the visitor’s name.
Drayton also knew the brothers personally.
“Uh, it looks like you have a guest, so I’ll be going now.”
Oliver, who had been looking around anxiously, slowly tried to get up.
But Arendt made the first move.
“No. Just stay there. It looks like you haven’t had your tea yet.”
“Yes, huh?”
As Oliver widened his eyes in surprise, Arendt added plainly.
“You were the one who arrived first. It’s ridiculous for the guest who arrived later to kick out the other guest.”
It was an audience member they had gone through so much to welcome, so they absolutely couldn’t let him slip away.
As Oliver sat back down awkwardly, unable to refuse, Arendt glanced at Arcus next.
“What are you going to do? Are you just going to leave him outside?”
“…Is it okay if he comes in?”
“You should let him in. We’ve finally found the food, right? He’s a guest.”
Did he just call him food?
Oliver looked at Arendt without realizing it, doubting his ears.
But nothing could be read from the apprentice knight’s expressionless face.
But Arcus seemed to have noticed something in those words.
“Haa… I wonder why they sent someone here on purpose.”
The Vice Leader, pressing his temples as if he was dying from a headache, gave a short order.
“Bring him.”
“Yes? Yes! I understand!”
Karin nodded quickly and opened the door.
Then, as if they had been waiting behind her, well-dressed men and attendants poured into the Union.
Arendt had no difficulty in recognizing that the person at the forefront was Drayton.
It was because, unlike the group who were dressed neatly, he was dressed in flashy clothes, as if he wanted to show off his wealth.
It was an appearance that literally fit the word ‘nouveau riche’ perfectly.
Henry got up, leaving Oliver, who had turned pale as if he were sitting on a bed of thorns.
“Welcome. Nice to meet you, Mr. Drayton.”
Arcus also glanced at Arendt, then stood up and stepped forward.
“Mr. Drayton, it’s been a while.”
“I apologize for the suddenness, Union Leader, and Young Master. Since you’re nearby, I wanted to see you at least once.”
Drayton chuckled and bowed his head deeply.
The exaggerated movements caused the collar, buttons, and jeweled decorations on the sleeves to sway and make a rattling sound.
Drayton slowly straightened his back and looked at Arendt.
Arcus noticed this and tried to intervene urgently.
“How did it get to this point…”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Young Master.”
But Drayton was faster than that.
“Do you recognize me? You’ve really grown a lot.”
“…”
Arcus and Henry’s anxious gazes met in midair.
Arendt did not answer, but only glanced up at him.
“The last time I saw you was before you entered the academy, right? I am so proud of you for growing up so much better than I could have imagined.”
The more Drayton spoke to Arendt in a friendly manner, the more anxious Arcus and Henry became.
It was quite unsettling to see Arendt’s expressionless golden eyes fixed upon Drayton.
“You were like that when you were young, but now that you’ve grown up, you look even more like the Countess. I’m sure the Count would be proud of you.”
“…What.”
After a long time, Arendt opened his mouth.
Without any change in expression, he sat there with his head tilted arrogantly.
“I have a lot to say, but I’ll just touch on three things.”
Drayton stopped talking at the sound of a voice that was so calm, almost indifferent.
“First. Everyone knows that I’m great. You don’t have to point it out. Why bother talking about it?”
“…”
Drayton, who had been rambling on and on, froze stiffly.
“Second. Why would the Count be proud? I was just born well and grew up well, so what does that have to do with him? And last.”
Arendt’s clear voice resounded in the silent Union.
“Do you know me? I don’t know you.”
“Cough!”
Oliver, who was drinking tea to soothe his parched throat, started coughing.
“Cough! Gulp! Sorry, sorry, gulp!”
He apologized hastily, but fortunately or unfortunately, no one listened.
Arendt furrowed his eyebrows in displeasure at the background sound of Oliver’s coughing.
“How dare you call me young master? You should refer to me as Lord Arendt.”
“…”
Drayton was left completely speechless.
The attendants also gaped in surprise.
“The way you look at me is quite impudent. Aren’t you going to lower your gaze?”
To those who were frozen in a daze, Arendt drove the final nail in the coffin.
It was a perfect show of dominance.